BENZINE FOR GUARD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 287, 26 March 1941, Page 5

BENZINE FOR GUARD

MEMBERS TO PAY LOCAL BODIES CANNOT MEET COST The Government has stated that xt is not prepared to meet the cost of petrol used for Home Guard purposes, the only concession it will allow being that licenses for extra allowances will be issued to Guardsmen where justified. The Whakatane Borough Council has already decided that it cannot meet the petrol cost incurred' in the local area and at yesterday's meeting a similar decision was announced by the County Council.

The local Home Guard committee had forwarded an estimate of monthly expenditure amounting to £59 18s of which £49 Avould be spent in petrol. The Council decided that »t would in accordance with a request by the Borough Council arrange a meeting of Finance Committees to discuss. the future policy regarding other administrative costs of the Home Guard.

The chairman stated that the provision of petrol costs were "washed out" as the regulations stated that Guardsmen were 'to pay for their own petrol. Service Nearly Compulsory. Cr L. W. Luxton stated that the position was now governed by the fact that the attendance at parades by Guardsmen had been made very near]j' compulsory. Notice had been received that if a member did not attend a stated number of parades he could be subjected to a line of £2 by his commander and if he then did not comply with the regulations then he could be reported to the authorities and become liable to imprisonment. Gr Luxton continued to state that the men did not Know this fact when they signed on as Guardsmen and that the regulation was an amendment. That men had joined the Guard believing the drill .to be of the "free and easy" variety was the opinion of Cr A. F. McGougan and had not expected to be subjected to sucli strict drill. Now they found that they had signed up voluntarily and could not get out. He added that in connection with the latest regulation the commanders use their judgment. Cr T. G,. H. Cawte pointed out that in the first instance the rule had been that if a Guardsman missed three parades he could be struck off the roll. * Cr R. F. Wardlaw : What about the men who have not joined t'he Guard? Will there be any penally against men who hav6 not volunteered.

The Chairman : The position is that the Government won't find the petrol for Guardsmen and neither will the local bodies and thus the expense will fall back on the members.

Referring to the suggestion mentioned by Cr Luxton, Cr Burt stated that if a levy was made on Guardsmen of Is per head that would be done to settle only the expenses incurred in the one month. It could not be hoped to levy the men for further expenses.